Football Watch

It's been a rough year for football fans in the Lone Star State, and this week was no exception. While many UT football fans pegged defensive coordinator Will Muschamp as Mack Brown's eventual successor, those hopes ended when Muschamp accepted the head coaching job at the University of Florida. Good luck to Muschamp, but not the best news for UT supporters.

Houston Texans fans were dealt another body blow this week with an excruciating loss to the Baltimore Ravens last Monday. Houston (5-8) mounted an epic second-half comeback scoring 21 unanswered points to send the game to overtime only to lose it on a Matt Schaub interception returned 12 yards for a game-ending TD.

The 4-9 Cowboys led the Eagles 20-14 with 7:44 remaining in the third but couldn't hold on to the lead eventually losing 30-27 in large part due to the Mike Vick-DeSean Jackson combo. Jackson was targeted eight times for four catches, 210 yards, and a 91-yard fourth-quarter TD strike. Many prognosticators tagged both Houston and Dallas as likely playoff teams before the season started, with the Cowboys picked to be the first team to host a Super Bowl in their own stadium. But this season has been a big disappointment for both franchises who have next to nothing to play for in their remaining three games.

The Cowboys host the equally inept Redskins (5-8) Sunday at noon on Fox while the Texans visit the flailing Titans (5-8) on CBS at the same time.

Picks of the week: I had my first losing week of the year last week (2-3) bringing my overall record to 20-17-2 on the season. I'm gonna take the Texans plus 1.5 in Tennessee 'cause I'm a homer, the Ravens minus 1 at home vs. the Saints, the Falcons minus 7 in Seattle, and the Eagles plus 3 visiting the Giants.

Area Bars and the Football Teams/Fans They Cater To:

Aussie's catered to Browns fans last year but is focusing more on the Texans and Cowboys this season. 306 Barton Springs Rd., 480-0952.

Bagpipes Pub & Eatery supplies the setting for Alabama Crimson Tide football fans. 9070 Research, 467-8700.

B.D. Riley's Irish Pub is the place to go if you're a fan of Tom Brady's tresses or his football team, the New England Patriots. Fittingly, the pub is also home for Notre Dame games. 204 E. Sixth, 494-1335.

Bikinis Sports Bar & Grill (both locations) is a straight-up Steelers bar. 6901 N. I-35, 454-2247; 214 E. Sixth, 469-0001.

Billy's on Burnet is the "unofficial Packers bar of Austin." 2105 Hancock, 407-9305.

Black Sheep Lodge has a good contingent of Saints, Redskins, Vikings, Texans, and Titans fans. USC and Ohio State lovers cheer on their teams on Saturdays. 2108 S. Lamar, 707-2744.

Cedar Door hosts USC and TCU supporters. Second & Brazos, 473-3712.

Cool River Cafe is the place for Nebraska Cornhuskers fans. 4001 W. Parmer, 835-0010.

Hog Island Italian Deli hosts Philadelphia Eagles watch parties. 1612 Lavaca, 482-9090.

Joe's Bar and Grill Attention Colt McCoy lovers, Joe's hosts fans of the NFL's Cleveland Browns. 506 West Ave., 473-0885.

Mangia Pizza Mesa is the official home for Auburn football. 8012 Mesa, 349-2126.

Pluckers North Austin is the official home of the Arkansas Razorbacks. 9070 Research, 533-9464.

Pluckers South Lamar is the official place to be for Michigan Wolverines games. 3909 S. Lamar, 443-9464.

Shoal Creek Saloon is the home of the Saints. 909 N. Lamar, 474-0805.

The Tavern sees a lot of Steelers and Ravens fans show up for NFL Sundays. 922 W. 12th, 320-8377.

Third Base Round Rock caters to Giants, Chargers, and Steelers fans. Arkansas Razorbacks lovers meet there on Saturdays. 3107 S. I-35, Round Rock, 512/388-2273.

Third Base Southpark Meadows is the place to be for Saints, Vikings, and Steelers supporters. In the NCAA, it's Oregon State, Minnesota, and Texas Tech territory. 9600 S. I-35, 381-2273.

Third Base Downtown has a good following for the Texans, Saints, and Vikings and generally a "pretty mixed" crowd. As far as college goes, it's the official home for Illinois Fighting Illini and Florida Gators fans, as well as followers of Maryland, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Kansas. 1717 W. Sixth, 476-2273.

The Warehouse Saloon & Billiards sees a lot of Vikings fans, among others. I've also heard Dolphins and Bears fans have been known to congregate there. 509 E. Ben White, 443-8799.

Weirdos is a Chargers bar. 12408 MoPac N., 291-6703.

Hit me up at gameplans@austinchronicle with additional info.